Brandes Investment Partners LP trimmed its position in W.R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE:WRB - Free Report) by 17.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 817,992 shares of the insurance provider's stock after selling 170,844 shares during the period. Brandes Investment Partners LP owned approximately 0.22% of W.R. Berkley worth $57,358,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.
Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new stake in W.R. Berkley in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. raised its holdings in shares of W.R. Berkley by 140.0% in the fourth quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 360 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 210 shares during the last quarter. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new position in shares of W.R. Berkley in the third quarter worth $35,000. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of W.R. Berkley in the fourth quarter worth $42,000. Finally, Cary Street Partners Financial LLC raised its holdings in shares of W.R. Berkley by 691.9% in the second quarter. Cary Street Partners Financial LLC now owns 586 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 512 shares during the last quarter. 68.82% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
W.R. Berkley Trading Up 0.5%
Shares of W.R. Berkley stock opened at $67.09 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 0.36 and a quick ratio of 0.36. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $66.49 and a 200 day moving average price of $68.66. W.R. Berkley Corporation has a 1 year low of $62.87 and a 1 year high of $78.96. The stock has a market cap of $24.98 billion, a PE ratio of 14.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.16 and a beta of 0.30.
W.R. Berkley (NYSE:WRB - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 21st. The insurance provider reported $1.30 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.13 by $0.17. W.R. Berkley had a net margin of 12.64% and a return on equity of 18.92%. The company had revenue of $3.69 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.18 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.01 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 1.3% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that W.R. Berkley Corporation will post 4.67 earnings per share for the current year.
W.R. Berkley Increases Dividend
The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 2nd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 23rd will be issued a $0.10 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 23rd. This is a positive change from W.R. Berkley's previous quarterly dividend of $0.09. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. W.R. Berkley's dividend payout ratio is presently 7.63%.
W.R. Berkley News Summary
Here are the key news stories impacting W.R. Berkley this week:
- Positive Sentiment: W.R. Berkley continues to emphasize shareholder returns, with recent commentary highlighting dividend growth and share repurchases as the company returns excess capital while maintaining strong profitability. W. R. Berkley Delivers Long-Term Value Through Capital Returns
- Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research nudged up some longer-term earnings forecasts, including higher FY2028 EPS estimates, which can support confidence in the company’s profit outlook. W.R. Berkley analyst estimate updates
- Neutral Sentiment: W.R. Berkley also announced the passing of founder William R. Berkley at age 80, an important corporate event but not an immediate change to earnings or operations on its own. Company announcement on the passing of William R. Berkley
- Neutral Sentiment: Analyst estimate changes were mixed, with a slight increase in Q1 2028 and FY2028 forecasts but small reductions in FY2027 and Q3 2027 estimates, leaving the overall near-term outlook broadly unchanged. W.R. Berkley analyst estimate updates
- Negative Sentiment: The founder’s death may create some uncertainty around succession and continuity at a company long associated with his leadership, which could pressure the stock if investors focus on governance risk. Reuters article on W.R. Berkley passing away
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
Several brokerages recently issued reports on WRB. Argus cut shares of W.R. Berkley from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of W.R. Berkley from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, April 25th. UBS Group set a $68.00 target price on shares of W.R. Berkley and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Bank of America reduced their target price on shares of W.R. Berkley from $68.00 to $67.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. Finally, Evercore reissued an "underperform" rating on shares of W.R. Berkley in a report on Monday, March 9th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $68.44.
Get Our Latest Stock Report on WRB
W.R. Berkley Company Profile
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Free Report)
W. R. Berkley Corporation NYSE: WRB is a publicly traded insurance holding company that underwrites and sells commercial property and casualty insurance, specialty insurance products, and reinsurance. Headquartered in Greenwich, Connecticut, the company operates a portfolio of underwriting businesses that focus on niche and specialty commercial risks, offering coverage tailored to industries such as transportation, construction, professional services and other commercial lines.
The company's product mix includes primary and excess casualty, property, professional liability, environmental and other specialty lines, together with treaty and facultative reinsurance solutions.
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This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.
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